The first law of thermodynamics states that all energy in the universe is constant--it cannot be created or destroyed.

Only its form can change, never its essence.

The second law, the entropy law, states that energy can only be changed in one direction, that is, from ordered to disordered.

Depletion and pollution are therefore an integral part of all life processes.

The intensification of the mode of production, that is the application of technology to the production of food and goods, is done at the expense of creating disorder in the environment.

In general, the larger and more complex the technology, the faster this transforming process occurs.

An Example:

Material and Energy Shortages:

The most pressing concern caused by the intensification of the world's infrastructures is the accelerated rate of depletion of resources.

Total mineral extraction during the last 50 years was greater than that from the beginning of the Bronze Age until World War II.

The problem lies in the growth of the infrastructures. While natural resources are finite, the infrastructures of the world's societies are growing at an exponential rate.

At 3% annual growth, how long will it take the world’s economy to double in size?

The factors that produce exponential growth can easily be seen with respect to population:

An increase in the birthrate today not only increases the present population, but, after some delay to allow these babies to grow up and become parents themselves, increase the population of the future as well.

Industrial production also grows at an exponential rate. Again, the factors that account for this exponential growth are clearly discernable in the industrial sector.

Growth in industrial output consists of both the production of consumer goods(cars, textiles, furniture) and capital goods (steel mills, car factories, tractors and combines)

After some delay, these new capital goods are used to further increase industrial output.

Industrial production, of course, eventually leads back to waste.

World shortages of energy and raw materials, as well as pollution, were the theme of the Global 2000 Report to the President issued in 1980.

Using projections from 11 separate Federal agencies the Report concluded:

"If present trends continue, the world in 2000 will be more crowded, more polluted, less ecologically stable, and more vulnerable to disruption than the world we live in now."

"For hundreds of millions of desperately poor, the outlook for food and other necessities of life will be no better. For many it will be worse. Barring revolutionary advances in technology, life for most people on earth will be more precarious in 2000 than it is now--unless the nations of the world act decisively to alter current trends ."

The two underlined portions on the previous slide point to two very different strategies to deal with the ecological crisis:

The technological fix strategy is to develop technological solutions to the problems of growth.

Technological solutions must be technologically feasible, must be economically viable, and must be developed before they are needed.

"Savior" technologies are by no means assured, they may be too costly to employ, and they are still bound by the ultimate limits of the earth.

The Environmental Fit strategy, often offered by "deep" environmentalists, centers on stopping industrial and population growth.

But all industrial nations (governments, corporations, financial institutions, and people) are firmly committed to continued intensification.

By committing ourselves to economic growth we are betting that technological development can be achieved that will tap into almost infinite supplies of energy and raw materials...

...with no delays in its development and deployment, at affordable prices, and with minimal costs to the environmental system.

To expect so much from technology borders on faith, not science.